Declaring the right of gay Americans to pursue their lives "free of fear," President Clinton strongly backed the Hate Crimes Prevention Act on Tuesday, April 6 and urged its passage by Congress this year.

spoke of launching educational programs that would give middle-school students the chance to discuss tolerance with their peers.

Clinton's announcement comes just one day after 21-year-old Russell Henderson was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences after he pled guilty to the kidnapping and murder of University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard. Meanwhile in Texas, the second defendant in the dragging death of James Byrd will have a pre-trial hearing on Tuesday, April 20. And on Saturday in St. Petersburg, Florida, a six-year-old girl of mixed-race parentage was shot to death by a 17-year-old neo-Nazi skinhead who had allegedly fired an assault rifle at her family's home. The girl's twin sister was critically injured in the incident. In March, MTV conducted a poll on the issue and elicited these diverse responses from students across America [Real Video]. To get in touch with your local politician